Dallas, Texas is experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures, with highs expected to reach 90 to 95 degrees, reminiscent of late June or early July. This warmth extends across the southern and central United States, with temperatures in the upper 60s and 70s in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, and 80s and even 90s in the central and southern Plains and Mid-South.
The warm weather trend is not isolated to Dallas but has been a recurring theme throughout this winter season, particularly in December and this month. Experts attribute this trend to human-caused climate change and the powerful El Niño climate pattern, which have contributed to potentially making this winter the warmest on record in the contiguous United States.
As a result of this warmth, the extent of snow cover over the Lower 48 states is at its lowest in at least the past two decades. Despite a brief cold blast expected midweek, another surge of unseasonably warm air is forecast to sweep over the nation as March begins.
Record highs are anticipated in various locations, with temperatures soaring into the 80s and 90s in the southern Plains and reaching as far north as North Dakota and Minnesota. Dallas is predicted to hit 92 degrees, potentially breaking a calendar-day record and marking its highest temperature so early in the year since 1996.
Cities like Laredo, Texas, Oklahoma City, and Topeka, Kansas are among those expected to set calendar-day record highs this week. Moreover, widespread record warm low temperatures are forecast from Central Texas to the Great Lakes, with lows remaining above freezing in some northern regions.
The warmest air is projected to shift eastward as a cold front moves through the Plains, leading to record highs from the South into the Great Lakes and starting to reach the Northeast. By midweek, areas like Waco, Texas, Memphis, and St. Louis are likely to post record highs, setting the stage for an unseasonably warm conclusion to February.
Looking ahead to early March, temperatures are expected to dip slightly below average before another surge of warmth arrives for the weekend and into the following week. This ongoing pattern of unseasonable warmth underscores the significant impact of climate change on weather patterns across the United States.